True Identity
by Tears of Amethyst
Summary: Kagome is faced with the question of who she really is and to find the answer she goes back in time and ends up a little further back than she expected... PG13 for language in future chapters
1. Prologue: Yume

Disclaimer: I begged with Rumiko Takahashi to sell me all her characters but she refused. So they all belong to her. Apparently $3.62 wasn't enough money… ^_~ True Identity 

By: tearsofamethyst

Prologue: Yume

****

_She was walking. The air was scented with flower blossoms and trees rustled lightly in the breeze. It was a paradise, one she had created for herself in her own mind- her secret safe haven. She closed her eyes and blissfully breathed in the wonderful scents and smells. It was then she realized that she was not alone. There was one more creature of beauty sharing the paradise with her._

_She opened her eyes and turned. There was a figure before her and she found herself looking into a face much like her own but still so different. Dark black hair framed the face, hair longer and darker than hers, hair that trailed down the back of her red and white priestess clothing, shining and free. But her gaze remained focused on the face- a beautiful face, one with brown eyes devoid of emotion of any kind. _

_She was her- they were each other. They were linked at their very core- their souls were one. And yet…they were nothing like alike._

Then she spoke. The sound of her voice was lost to the soft wind but her words somehow still reached her ears. It was as if she didn't need sound to communicate. She was above it.

 She asked only one question- three simple words.

_"Who are you?"_

Atashi…

_I…_

Atashi wa…

_I am…_

_She tried to answer- searched for the right words to say but nothing came out. The other girl turned and began walking away from her._

_No…_

_Wait…_

_Don't go…_

_I…_

She ran, chasing after the other girl. As she ran, reaching out to touch her, the trees and flower blossoms faded away. The paradise was gone and she was left running in darkness. The only thing visible was her- that girl. She was running as fast as she could and yet not fast enough as she, her other self, always managed to remain ahead no matter how hard she tried to catch up. 

_I…_

_I am…_

_Then she felt herself losing balance, falling gracelessly to the ground. The girl then turned with a poise and grace that she knew she could never possess. Her long dark hair swayed gently behind her back with the motion. Her movements and appearance were sleek and elegant. She was beauty itself and she was merely a child in her presence playing a game she could not possibly win. _

_And as she stared down at her with dark brown unblinking eyes, Kagome realized with a sick feeling that somehow this was how it was supposed to be- Kikyo always above and ahead and her on the ground at Kikyo's feet and mercy. In some cruel twist of fate- this was the destiny that they had been cast. _

_And then she asked the question again._

_"Who are you?"_

_I…_

_I am…_

_Wordlessly, Kikyo turned and walked away, leaving her on the ground, helpless._

Kagome sat up in bed panting. She held a hand to her heart and tried in vain to calm her ragged breathing.

_Who are you?_

The words from the dream. They were back again in her head, tearing at her mind, begging for an answer.

I…I am… 

Then with a sorrowful, horrified expression, she realized.

_I don't know who I am._

_Kikyo has stolen my identity. _

_***_

^_^ Okay, prologue's up! I want to hear what you think of the beginning- review! And email if you wish! ^_~

Amethyst


	2. I The ultimate insult

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, and all of those other people that have enough $$$. Not me. -_-;; True Identity 

The miko was in deep concentration. Eyes closed as a gentle wind tugged at her ponytail of long dark hair, she was one with her surroundings. Her senses were attuned to pick up the slightest movement- not even the subtle swaying of a single blade of grass escaped her.

She was invincible.

Then she felt it. Footsteps from behind running towards her. Her eyes flew open. She was ready for the oncoming attack. In an instant her bow was in attack position, a single arrow pulled back taut, ready to pierce and burn the flesh of her opponent. 

Ready… 

Eyes narrowed, she focused on the spot where her enemy would emerge. She could feel the power coursing through her, coming from somewhere deep within. Energy gathered at the tip of her arrow with a deadly blue light.

_Aim…_

She could sense her opponent approaching faster- the sound of the footsteps quickening. Her ears could pick up the beginnings of her enemy's battle cry.

"ONEE-SAMA!!!" Fi- Nani? 

She dropped the bow, the blue light immediately disappearing from the arrow's tip. The "enemy" flung two small arms tightly around her knees, oblivious to the fate she had just narrowly escaped.

She let out a sigh of exasperation and relief.

"Konnichiwa, Kaede."

Her younger sister looked up and beamed at her. "Hi, onee-sama!" Then taking in the bow and arrow still gripped tightly in her sister's hand and the expression on her face she asked innocently, "Are you okay, Kikyo? You don't look so good…"

She smiled- for Kaede's sake and answered distractedly, "It's okay. I'm fine."

The younger girl grinned, fully accepting her sister's lie and released her grip on her legs. She slipped a small hand into hers and pulled at Kikyo. "Let's go, onee-sama! It's time you took a break- you've been out here all day!" She smiled again at her.

Absently, Kikyo allowed her to lead her away from the field towards their village.

There was…something coming… I sensed it… Something is about to happen… 

_This isn't good…_

_*******************_

"…..**hic**….."

"H-hey…passhh…that **hic** bottle over…heresshh… **hic**"

"Feh." 

A half-empty bottle of an unidentifiable liquid with a strong scent hurtled through the air none to graciously at the slurring youkai. It landed unceremoniously next to his left leg. He reached for the bottle but in his state couldn't reach it and the bottle rolled away from him, pouring out some of its vile contents on the ground. It now lay inches away from one of his companions. 

"Passhh the bottle…**hic**…the bottle…" he urged him.

"zzzz….**hic**……zzzz" was the only response to be gained. 

"Shtupid bashtard…Passhed out again…You…what's…yer name…passhh the bottle…" He motioned to his other companion with what should have been urgency, but it hurt his head something awful when he moved his hands too fast.

"Feh." He walked over towards the bottle. He still wasn't quite sure why he was hanging around with these two drunken pathetic excuses for youkai. They had proved to be of no help to him but only nuisances with their damn drinking. He wrinkled his sensitive nose as he picked up the bottle. The shit smelled horrible and never failed to put them out every night for the past two months. It was a routine that he was quickly tiring of.

He walked over to the conscious one with the bottle firmly in his hand. A drunken smile passed over his ugly face. 

"Ohh…yeah… bring it right…**hic** herre…" 

A slow cruel smile passed across Inuyasha's face. He dangled the bottle above the drunken youkai's face. He tried to reach for it but couldn't quite coordinate himself well enough to grab the coveted treasure that lay only inches above him. Then finally he touched the bottle- only to have it yanked away.

"Give me one good reason why I should give you this bottle instead of killing you, bastard." He leaned the bottle closer to his face then pulled it back, waving it tauntingly.

The youkai swore, causing a string of slobber to leave his mouth and hang across his chin. "Just give me **hic** the damn bottle."

"Why?"

The youkai smiled then hiccupped again and sniffed. "Caush I know of something you want…" His voice lowered into an 'I-have-a-secret' tone. "Have you heard of the…**hic** Shikon no Tama?"

Inuyasha leaned forward looking remotely interested. "Keep talking, old man."

He grinned. "Nuh-uh-uh-uhhh," he said, wagging his finger at Inuyasha. 

"Feh." Inuyasha poured a few drops from the bottle on him impatiently. The youkai licked around his mouth, desperately trying to get some of it into his mouth while Inuyasha watched in disgust. "You were saying?"

The youkai attempted to prop himself up into a sitting position. "The Shhhikon no Tama…They say it has the power to…" He fell backwards, his eyelids starting to lower, his dark soulless eyes glazing over.

Inuyasha immediately recognized what was happening. He seized him by his shirt and held him up. "The power to do _what_, old man?! What?! Don't you pass out on me now you worthless piece of shit!"

He hiccupped again, sending a wave of foul breath straight into Inuyasha's nose. A smile lazily grazed his face, revealing yellowed aged fangs. "To make…youkai stronger…Heh…They say it can even….make a miserable _hanyou _like you into…" He trailed off and his eyelids flickered again, dimming even lower this time.

"Into what?" Inuyasha demanded, a part of him still hoping…. _Maybe…_

Another hiccup. "Into… a… real… you…kai…." His eyes closed and he was out. 

Inuyasha tossed him carelessly by the other one. A smile curved on his lips. An evil smile. "The Shikon no Tama, huh?" He cracked his knuckles. "Thanks, old man, you actually proved to be worth something after all." He looked over at the two sleeping youkai. "Heh, maybe I won't kill you two after all." He began to walk away. Then he remembered the 'miserable hanyou' crack.

"On second thought…" Laughing, he turned around to take care of the bane of his existence for the past two months.

"_SANKON TESSOU!!"_

_*******************_

Inuyasha leapt through the trees at full speed. Finally. After over two weeks of looking, he actually found someone with enough information on this 'Shikon no Tama' to direct him towards it. But, if this jewel did lived up to its reputation, it would be well worth his time. He grinned. He could taste the power now.

Kikyo was heading back to her village when she felt it. That same feeling she had gotten before. Something was heading towards her. Something powerful. Something that wanted the Shikon no Tama.

As he sped forward he could feel it. Yes. This had to be it. The power he could sense, smell, _taste, _coming ahead was great. It sent a shiver down his spine in delight. Today was the day he became a true youkai.

He could _feel _this jewel in every ounce of his body but where the hell was it? He looked down and all he could see was a Shinto priestess, dressed in her traditional red and white. He had heard something of the jewel being protected by a powerful guardian. But surely this- _girl _wasn't it?

Oh well. _All the more easier for me_, he thought smirking.

"Feh, this is almost enough to make me feel guilty," he snorted. "Almost." He flexed his clawed fingers and drew them back. Running he leapt at the miko. "_Sankon Te-"_

His words and attack were cut off by his being propelled backward; his attack reflected by a powerful energy. The miko turned to look at him, sprawled out on his backside in surprise. Then she turned as if to continue on her way. But she didn't move. Not yet.

"I won't kill you. You are, after all, half human." 

That being said, she continued down the path. Not running away from him. Just walking away, at that same even pace he had met her moving at. A stunned hanyou lay on the ground, speechless. 

_"I won't kill you. You are, after all, half human."_

Her words echoed in his mind, finally sinking in. A _human girl_ refused to kill him out of pity. 

It was the ultimate insult.

He sprang to his feet. "What the hell do you mean, _you _won't kill _me_?" He chased behind her. "Hey you! Answer me!"

She turned to face him again. She had pale fair skin, with dark serious eyes. Black straight bangs cut across her forehead, and dark hair fell in a shiny loose ponytail down her back. "I've heard of you, Inuyasha. You want the Shikon no Tama to become a full youkai." Her voice held no contempt or anger. Just a faint glimmer of that damn pity again. "Do yourself a favour, Inuyasha." She turned away from him.  "Forget about it."

Then she walked away from him again. Inuyasha was stunned- left with the sensation of being slapped. "What? What _the hell_ is that supposed to mean?! Are you trying to say that you'll stop me from getting that jewel? Huh? Are you?"__

Keeping her head high, never looking at him or losing her pace. "I have nothing left to say." He followed her dumbstruck until she reached her village. Bowing her head slightly she said, with a hint of amusement in her voice, "Good-bye…Inuyasha."

R & R? What do you think?

Amethyst 


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